Candidates register this week and prepare for official campaigns to begin next month in an election that sets President Hugo Chávez against a united opposition movement.

The polls predict victory for Enrique Peña Nieto. But with the PRI poised for a pick-up in congressional seats, the implications of the July 1 elections will go far beyond the presidential race.

 

A student movement called #YoSoy132 launched a series of protests against media coverage of the campaigns and the leading candidate. But can it affect the election outcome?

Danilo Medina won the presidential election in the first round due to good campaigning and the legacy of one of his biggest supporters.

"There isn't a young, fresh, new voice," says COA's Eric Farnsworth about the two presidential candidates of the upcoming Dominican Republic elections, adding "So what you have is both candidates trying to position themselves as the one who is most competent and trustworthy to run the government."

Dominicans cast their votes for president on Sunday, giving the incumbent party candidate enough votes to avoid a runoff. But the opposition candidate refused to concede, alleging vote-buying fraud.

Ahead of the 2012 U.S. presidential election, recent surveys show the issue of same-sex marriage may have limited impact on the Latino vote, which is increasingly tolerant of gay rights.